Overview

On March 1, Alexei Navalny's funeral took place in Moscow, with thousands gathering to bid farewell to the politician. The day before, Moscow police erected metal fence corridors in the Maryino district and deployed hundreds of security forces and paddy wagons. The funeral service, held at the Church of the 'Assuage My Sorrows' icon, lasted less than 20 minutes. Only family members were permitted to approach the coffin. After the body was lowered into the ground, police allowed the public to say their final goodbyes to the opposition leader. Lines leading to the church and Borisovskoye Cemetery stretched for several hundred meters, and participants in the farewell procession walked through Maryino, chanting slogans such as 'Freedom for political prisoners,' 'No to war,' and 'Navalny is a hero of Russia.' Mediazona accompanied the crowd along the entire route.